Difference between genotyping and DNA sequencing

When acquiring a genetic test, it is important to know which technique is being used to study the genetic information since, depending on the technique, the results obtained are interpreted differently.

To of the most used technologies are genotyping and sequencing. Each technique studies DNA in a different way with different amounts of DNA. The differences between the methods explain the variations in the prices of genetic analyses.

Genotyping is the study of genetic diversity by analyzing variations in the genome between individuals and populations. The objective of using genotyping in a genetic test is to determine

the presence of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) that are related to the susceptibility to a certain disease.

Moreover, DNA sequencing analyses practically all DNA. Determining the complete DNA sequence allows us to know the somatic mutations generated between different organisms.

That is, the main difference between both techniques is that genotyping means determining presence/absence of SNPs, and sequencing is reading the base DNA sequence by base. This difference is what determines the price, being the genotyping techniques less expensive than sequencing.

At tellmeGen we offer the most complete genetic test available, using the genotyping technique. To do this, we have developed a Microarray chip that collects the maximum number of SNPs with great scientific evidence. This chip contains more than 750,000 markers. In addition, it is personalized with more than 10,000 SNPs.